Sean Dyche could sleepwalk into £10m Everton error after Dele Alli news emerges
Sean Dyche has got almost every single decision bang on the money since arriving at Everton as manager, but his view on returning loanee Dele Alli could end up as a costly £10million mistake.
The Toffees initially signed Alli on a free transfer in January 2022, with clauses that could see the fee rise as high as £40million depending on a number of factors, including the number of appearances made for the club.
And after falling out of favour under Frank Lampard and sealing a season-long loan move to Besiktas, the Englishman is still yet to reach any of these quotas.
After this hugely disappointing loan spell with the Turkish giants was brought to a close due to a hip injury, the midfielder now faces a nervous wait while Dyche decides on his Goodison Park future.
Despite a combination of poor form, disciplinary issues and long-term injury worries, The Times hinted (13 June) that the door could still be open for Alli on Merseyside.
“Sean Dyche believes that Dele Alli still wishes to push himself,” Paul Joyce wrote.
“Dyche has already held talks with Dele who is set to return to Finch Farm this pre-season. If Dele plays seven more games for Everton they will have to pay Tottenham £10m.”
If Dyche were to offer the mercurial talent a route back into the fold, he would effectively be doing so for £10million.
The Alli from the days under Mauricio Pochettino at Spurs would definitely be worth that risk, but he has shown absolutely nothing over the last three years to prove that he can still hit these heights.
At his peak, he was an elite goalscoring midfielder, but there have been questions raised across the media about his professionalism and commitment to the game.
After narrowly avoiding the drop for two successive seasons, Everton can’t afford a luxury player in their ranks who might be brilliant one week but then go missing when his club needs him most.
The Toffees should prioritize stability, consistency and value for money this summer, and unfortunately, Alli doesn’t tick a single one of these boxes.